Local Democracy in Post-Communist Europe

1. Front Matter

   Pages 1-8

   PDF

2. Devolution of Government in the Ex-Communist Countries: Some Explanatory Frameworks

   1. Devolution of Government in the Ex-Communist Countries: Some Explanatory Frameworks

      • Michal Illner

      Pages 9-28

3. Challenges of the Reform Process

   1. Rebuilding local democracy and administration in East Germany — a “special case” of post-communist transformation?

      • Hellmut Wollmann

      Pages 29-59

   2. The Czech Republic 1990–2001. Successful reform at the municipal level and a difficult birth of the intermediary government

      • Michal Illner

      Pages 61-90

   3. Local Government in Poland and Hungary: from post-communist reform towards EU accession

      • Hellmut Wollmann, Tomila Lankina

      Pages 91-122

   4. Local democracy in the Baltic countries: a new beginning?

      • Edvins Vanags, Inga Vilka

      Pages 123-156

   5. Local Government Reform in Slovenia. From socialist self-management to local self-government

      • Gorazd Trpin

      Pages 157-180

   6. Local Government Development in Croatia. Problems and Value Mix

      • Ivan Koprić

      Pages 181-210

   7. Local self-government in Russia: Precarious trajectory between power and law

      • Hellmut Wollmann, Natalia Butusova

      Pages 211-240

4. Making Local Democracy Work

   1. Towards normalisation of local democracy in East-Central Europe. A developmental approach to institutional reform

      • Harald Baldersheim

      Pages 241-261

   2. The values of local democracy as seen by mayors in East-Central Europe

      • Pawel Swianiewicz

      Pages 263-271

   3. Whose mayor? Representational roles in local politics

      • Audun Offerdal

      Pages 273-288

   4. How beautiful is bigger? In search of the optimal size for local democracy

      • Pawel Swianiewicz

      Pages 289-300

   5. Learning across borders: The international contacts of municipalities

      • Harald Baldersheim, Jan Bucek, Pawel Swianiewicz

      Pages 301-312

5. Conclusions

   1. Decentralization: Lessons for Reformers

      • Michal Illner, Hellmut Wollmann

      Pages 313-335

6. Back Matter

   Pages 337-338

   PDF

This book is the first volume of aseries that aims at taking stock of the status of local democracy at the beginning of a new century. Modern local govern­ th me nt is largely a 19 century invention in response to processes of urbanisa­ tion and industrialisation. It became charged with the mundane tasks of pav­ ing and lighting streets, collecting refuse and providing clean water and sanitary sewerage, sometimes also acquiring a role in education and health. Anyone who has experienced a breakdown in such services knows how es­ sential they are to civilised life in urban society. Urban civilisation could simply not exist without working municipalities. The importance of munici­ pal functions ensures that the control over the municipality becomes a vital political issue. In most countries, democratisation of local government pre­ ceded and was an important step towards a fuH national democracy. Munici­ palities offered potential for the realisation of democratic citizenship at a comprehensible level of government and also became training grounds for participation in democracy on a larger scale. As institutions of the industrial era, local governments may not necessarily be able to respond adequately to the needs and aspirations of citizens of a post-industrial and global age. There are signs that citizens in a number of countries are loosing patience with local government. However, many municipalities also seek to open up new chan­ nels of participation for and communication with citizens.

• Europe
• Mayor
• Modernisierung
• Osteuropa
• Partizipation
• Regierung
• Region
• Russland
• Sozialstaat
• Verwaltung
• Verwaltungsmodernisierung
• democracy
• politics
• regional government
• transformation

• Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

  Harald Baldersheim

• Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic

  Michal Illner

• Institute of Social Sciences, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany

  Hellmut Wollmann

Harald Baldersheim, professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway; Michal Ilner, professor at the Institute of Sociology, Academy of sciences of the Czech Republik; Hellmut Wollmann, professor (em.) at the Institute of Social Sciences, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany

Policies and ethics